Full year results show stand-out sales growth in running and tennis categories as ASICS cements position as one of the top-3 ‘most desired sports brands’
ASICS Europe has announced accelerated growth across the EMEA region, delivering an overall 13% increase in net sales between January and December 2014. The increase was largely driven by strong growth across apparel and footwear in both running and tennis categories.
The 2014 results show significant growth in the brand’s key strategic categories, with running apparel growth increasing by 15% and running footwear up by 14%. In performance running apparel, ASICS now leads the market in France and has reinforced its top-3 position in Germany.
In tennis, ASICS’ main sports category behind running, ASICS achieved double-digit growth in both footwear and apparel. In Europe, ASICS is the fastest growing major tennis footwear brand and holds the number one market position in Spain and France.
In the indoor footwear category, ASICS increased its leading position by generating double digit growth – placing them as the best performing top-brand over the last 12 months.
The strong growth results were generated across all major European sales subsidiaries. ASICS Benelux, Germany, Austria and Norway posted solid single digit growth, while ASICS Denmark, Sweden, France, Spain, Italy, UK and Poland delivered impressive double digit growth figures. From a retail perspective, sales in ASICS’ own retail outlets increased by 37%.
ASICS was recently placed in the top-3 of ‘most desired sports brands’ cementing the brand’s position as a global player amongst the major sports brands. The 2015 global advertising campaign, which launches in March on major TV-channels, will further strengthen the brand’s equity on a global level.
Alistair Cameron, CEO of ASICS Europe B.V., commented: “We’re extremely pleased with ASICS’ strong performance in the EMEA region, and in particular the increase in apparel sales. As a result we are confident of breaking the $1 billion sales mark in 2015.
Over the last five years growth in Europe has come from performance categories, but in 2014 sports lifestyle once again became a growth driver in our business with ‘ASICS Tiger’ becoming hot.
Our awareness levels have grown year-on-year and we’re set to build on our position as one of the top 3 ‘most desired sports brands’ with the launch of a number of new product innovations in 2015. Demonstrating our ambition for growth, our new global advertising campaign – which will launch in March – will be ASICS’ largest campaign to date.
